6 tips to refresh your front garden

As the idiom says, people shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Though we all know this saying, how many of us can honestly say that we follow this saying in everyday life?

The same goes for the front of your house. Family, friends, guests and if you’re selling, potential buyers form their first impression in the first seven seconds of seeing your house. Your front garden is the gateway. Whether it’s tidy or messy, colourful or brown, bland or interesting - it’s going to form people’s opinions of your home.

To kick off 2018, we’ve put together some quick and simple tips to help you create a low maintenance, attractive front garden which you can be proud of.

Symmetry

Symmetry is scientifically proven to be more attractive. We know not all houses are symmetrical like the customer snap above, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t introduce it through creative planting.

Use topiary. Whether it’s real or artificial, topiary is an easy way to add height, elegance and interest to your front garden. Our customers commonly frame their front door with a pair of either boxwood (pictured above) spirals, cedar spirals or the ever popular bay laurel tree.

Alternatively, if space allows, hanging baskets are another simple way to add symmetry. Hang one either side of your doorway to add a splash of colour.

Make your path part of the design

Your footpath guides visitors to your doors. While functional, it shouldn’t be forgotten.

If you haven’t clearly defined your path try laying stepping stones freely. Then allow the grass and or flowers to grow between to create a lovely natural effect. Alternatively, clear the plants, weeds and grass, lay some weed matting and cover with decorative stones.

If you already have a path, then consider revamping it. You could jet wash pavement slabs to restore their original colour or replace existing decorative stones with a different coloured stone.

During wintry months, add LED lantern lights along your pathway. Not only will it make it easier for people to see, but they can add some elegant charm to your garden. Don’t forget to think about symmetry when positioning them.

Refresh your front door

Your front door is the face of your home which makes it an easy way to make a big difference to the overall appearance.

Again what you can do here really depends on the type of door you have. If you have a modern PVC or composite door then your options are limited. Short of replacing the door, we’d suggest giving it a good clean. There are tonnes of ideas and suggestions on how to do this on the Money Saving Expert forum here.

If you’ve got a wooden door then your options are more expansive. If your door is still natural wood coloured then we’d recommend re-staining with a quality wood stain. Alternatively if it’s looking a little tired or you want to introduce colour to your home then use coloured paint. Whether you’re staining or painting your door, there is a really handy tutorial from B&Q on YouTube.

Define your boundaries

Adding a fence, hedge or simple flower border around the edge of your garden is a tried and tested method for defining your boundaries. Not only does it separate your garden from the neighbours, the road or a public footpath but it helps develop your gardens structure.

If there is already fencing in place, give it a new lease of life with a lick of paint.

If your garden already has established hedging, prune it down to size. Creating a traditional box shape is a neat and attractive way to surround your garden. If you haven’t got the tools or are not green fingered a local gardener, neighbour or handyman may be able to help. Alternatively for a low maintenance approach, remove the hedging and replace with artificial box hedging.

Hide the bins

Unfortunately bins are an ugly necessity. We all need them but don’t really want to see them. Wheelie bin storage options are increasingly popular. Hide the ugly bins in these micro-sheds to prevent them from wrecking your homes curb appeal.

If you don’t have room for a bin store, you could use trellis to mask the bins location.

For added green points, plant aromatic climbing plants like Jasmin around the bin store or trellis which can entwine itself with the screening. Not only will this naturalise the bin storage area but you’ll mask the smell too!

Add colour

Gravelled or paved front gardens are a common occurrence particularly when parking is in short supply. Just because the garden is optimised for parking it doesn’t have to be devoid of colour and interest.

Use patio planters and window boxes to turn your front garden into a haven that breathes life and colour. The beauty of these planters is that they’re easy to move if they’re in the way or you can swap the flowers in the quickly between seasons.

For the truly low maintenance approach check out our range of artificial planters here. Alternatively if you prefer the natural approach look at low or no maintenance flowers like lavender, heather and crocus.

Roundup

Transforming your garden need not be a chore or that expensive. With some careful and creative planning, a little bit of elbow grease, paint, plants (real or artificial) and possibly some gravel your garden could be completely transformed in a matter of hours.

I hope that you find these tips useful when you’re refreshing your front garden this year. Be sure to check out the rest of our blog for more tips, advice, inspiration and guides.